Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Death, Random Holiday Photo, and Blog Whoring: Typical Wednesday Thoughts

Death
Good God! Go on a little holiday, and everyone dies. James Brown left this world on Christmas Day. That made me sad. Time was, all anyone needed for a party was to invite the Goddess Posse (my group of gal pals), clear some room, provide some drinks, and put on some James Brown. We’d do the rest. “Hot Pants!” and “Good God!” were common greetings among us. I know the man had his issues, but his music makes me happy.

Then I woke up this morning to hear that Gerald Ford died at the ripe old age of ninety-three. I’ll never understand why he pardoned Nixon (or forgive him for doing it), but I always look on him with pity. My mother used to say of him, “Oh, poor Gerald Ford. He fell a lot.” I thought of that this morning.


Here's a strange thing James Brown and Gerald Ford have in common: They were both lampooned on Saturday Night Live back when the show was worth watching. Not everyone can say that.

Random Holiday Photo
One of my closest friends was in town to see her family for Christmas, and I had a good time hanging out with her and her siblings. Her sister, it seems, is not much of a wine drinker. This was how the wine was opened at her house (the drill "bit" was a corkscrew. It got stuck in the plonky cork, and we had to wait for rescue).

Wine Opener


Blog Whoring
When I checked my e-mail this morning, I read this message. Apparently someone read my post that mentioned The Shining as a pretext to show off my terrible typing skills. Based on that post, this person would like me to blog about the DVD release of The Illusionist. Here's what he wrote:

Hi,

I'm contacting you on behalf of Fox and M80 regarding the DVD release of The Illusionist starring Jessica Biel and Edward Norton. I found your The Shining blog entry http://sassysundry.blogspot.com/2006/11/shining-drunken-rodents.html and think you might be of some help to me. Since you blogged about The Shining, I was hoping you might find The Illusionist DVD release, contest or something related to it, blogworthy. I would be happy to send you The Illusionist DVD as a thank you for your help or for you to review.

If you’d like to help out, or would like more information, please let me know and I’ll be in touch soon!

Thanks!

I did in fact see The Illusionist with Ex-Boyfriend on his birthday. Edward Norton did some nifty illusions, but I can’t say as I think that the DVD release has me all hot and bothered. Besides, I’m not that kind of blogger.

Have any of you received these kinds of solicitations? What do you think? It strikes me as very unseemly.

7 comments:

Sassy Sundry said...

That's what I was thinking. I mean, it's one thing to write a real review, but it's another thing to try to use your blog for (undisclosed) advertising. I rather hope this guy googles this entry.

Boxed-wine jokes were made. My friend, who really loves wine, was deeply offended by the set-up. I was just in hysterics.

Scout said...

Well, I have used a nail and hammer to open up a bottle, but never a drill.

Famous people die in threes--I can't for the life of me remember who it was who died just a week before James Brown, and I thought then that two more were on the way. Poor Gerald. I thought of Chevy Chase today and then read his comments about Ford's death. They became friends evidently.

Old Knudsen said...

I should really read you before I post, are you me are am I you? Robyn go read me about dying in threes, anyway get a po box if you're gonna give yer address out to strange men with fake credentals, except for me that is.
I accept that you're a fine and witty blogger but caution is advised and if it is on the up I'm sure they expect good reviews for it no matter what, it is very strange though.

Sassy Sundry said...

Robyn, I was trying to think of a third, but I couldn't come up with anything. My thought is that it has to be another person mocked on SNL.

Knudsen, I'm with the Beatles on this one. And I think that the whole thing with Fox was just sick. I write about movies I watch from time to time, but I wouldn't do it for advertising purposes or to "create buzz."

Before Girl said...

Box wine...hahaha. "You look like my mommy after she's had her box of wine." -Ralph Wiggum.

I can't believe you actually opened this email. I would agree with Dive on that one, about Fox. They canceled Wonderfalls, Serenity and Futurama, so they totally suck in my book just for that. If that blog whore could be bothered to write to someone to tell them to write a review for a movie, surely that person can do it himself?

Go to wikipedia, look up deaths 2006 and you'll get a list. I tried Google: dying in threes, Gerald Ford, James Brown, and came up with a wealth of posts about the whole dying in threes thing, with some realy interesting stories, but since I'm at work, I didn't feel safe clicking on them.

Sassy Sundry said...

The e-mail didn't look like a Fox thing at all. He asked me a question about my blog, and so I clicked on it. I pretty much hate Fox and everything it stands for, so that part was safe. I just think it's weird that he asked me to do anything like that at all.

Celebrity Death Clusters are fun, aren't they?

Glad you liked the boxed wine jokes.

aimee said...

God how hideously sad and pathetic to solicit publicity on blogs like that, I've never heard of it- certainly suspected it might be happening, just didn't think it would be so blatant! Scary.